The United States has a secret unknown even to the president. For many years now, a secret society of patriots, including politicians, industrialists and scientists, has been working on a project of unprecedented scale: an autonomous settlement on the Moon. Alas, fearing internal threats such as betrayal or incompetent leadership, they overlooked the external threat. The USSR became aware of a lunar colony violating international agreements - in addition, the Americans destroyed a Soviet manned probe. A real war is about to break out in space, which is one step away from a new world war on Earth. Who can stop the brewing conflict? Only the invincible Dirk Pitt, who for the sake of such a matter is ready to even take his mind off the search for the treasures of Eldorado...